Post play Bingo

ABSTRACT

The invention is directed to methods and processes for conducting a secondary competitive pull tab or other game of chance wherein entry and play in such game is determined by results of play in a primary traditional pull tab or other game of chance. The invention is further directed to addressing inadequacies in the prior art in meeting pull tab and game of chance market demand for novelty, the cultivation of player loyalty and to provide a unique and improved method of pull tab and game of chance marketing, player incentives and prize distribution.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a CIP of U.S. patent Ser. No. 11/142,779 filed Jun. 2, 2005 entitled “Post Play Bingo” by the present inventors and is related to and claims the benefit of U.S. patent Ser. No. 11/195,549 filed Aug. 3, 2005 entitled “Bingo-opoly” also by the present inventors. The entire content of said applications is incorporated by reference.

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

Not Applicable

SEQUENCE LISTING OR PROGRAM

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to methods and processes for conducting competitive secondary games of chance wherein play in such games is determined by results of play in a primary underlying related game.

2. Prior Art

Games of chance are enjoyed by millions and familiar to millions more. The proliferation of charity, for-profit and tribal gaming, the advent of the computer age and the worldwide Internet explosion have spawned an intensely competitive gaming environment. Games of chance operators are continually seeking new ways to not only draw initial interest to their games but, more importantly, maintain that interest, build player loyalty and increase revenues.

Pull tabs, which are also known by the industry terms “instants,” “break-opens” and “pickles” are played in paper or electronic “ticket” form. In the common paper form, billions of pull tabs are purchased annually by players. Depending on local law, pull tabs may be sold in a variety of locations, but are commonly associated with bingo halls.

Pull tabs are sold in sets called “deals” or “games” consisting of as few as 50 to more than 1,000,000 tickets in each deal. Within each deal are a predetermined number of winning and losing tickets, with winning tickets paying various amounts of prize money. For example, a deal may contain one grand prize and several additional lower levels of prizes all the way down to one cent. The cost of each ticket is determined based upon the number of tickets in the deal and the total prize pay-out of winning tickets. In this way, revenues and profits are easily calculated. For pull tab vendors, as well as manufacturers and distributors, profits are directly related to the volume of sales.

Individual pull tabs are purchased by players, who then break open a perforated window or scratch off a covering to reveal whether a player has won and how much. Winning pull tab tickets are then presented to the point of sale for redemption. Upon redemption of a winning pull tab the player's participation ends, unless additional tickets are purchased.

Player demand for increased speed of play, game novelty and attractive prize-awarding schemes has risen dramatically. One popular response has been the advent of electronic pull tabs played in rapid succession on electronic assistive devices. Today's pull tab purchaser, however, is not satisfied by the relatively slow-moving, common, traditional pull tab deal with a single possible winning outcome for each ticket.

Pull tabs and other games of chance operators now compete with and incorporate electronic and computer-based devices in their operations. These devices allow players to play more pull tabs through the computer-generated purchase and display of tickets. In this context, pull tabs in their traditional form are still being played, but pull tab players continue to demand novelty.

Currently, every state permits the play of at least some form of traditional games of chance and, based upon the characteristics of play, are regulated accordingly. Federally, Class II gaming consists of traditional bingo, pull tabs and raffles, as these games are commonly constituted. Class III gaming encompasses what are commonly known as slot machines, where players play against the machine itself. Class III gaming is universally prohibited in traditional games of chance operations and is of the type conducted in casinos.

Player demand for novelty in this age of computers and a way to give traditional pull tab players “more bang for the buck” has presented the industry with an ongoing challenge. The challenge facing pull tab and traditional games of chance operators is maintaining the integrity of these traditional games of chance while, at the same time, satisfying player novelty demand and cultivating player loyalty. The Post Play concept is an invention designed specifically to meet this industry challenge not only in the context of pull tabs, but in raffles and even slot machines. The concept of Post Play allows a pull tab winner in an underlying deal entry and participation in a secondary game, but without requiring the player to give additional consideration.

OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES

The objects and advantages of this invention are directed toward the shortcomings of the prior art in responding to current games of chance market demands in numerous ways:

-   -   A. The conduct of the secondary game does not affect or alter         the primary underlying, traditional game of chance known as pull         tabs. As a result, operators do not jeopardize the legality of         their operations by offering gaming which may otherwise be         prohibited.     -   B. By continuing play in the secondary pull tab game across a         series of primary traditional games or deals, several advantages         are realized:         -   1. Player excitement is increased with the prospect of             additional winnings and prize sharing, which may be             progressive over time.         -   2. Player competition is heightened and continued across             games.         -   3. Player demand for novelty is addressed by altering             criteria for entry or winning secondary games across             different primary games.         -   4. Players are given incentive to return to and remain at a             location offering Post Play pull tabs or other games of             chance in order to compete in ongoing secondary games.         -   5. Increases player loyalty to locations offering Post Play             pull tabs and other games of chance and continuing secondary             game play over time.     -   C. The concept of prize sharing within primary and secondary         games is accepted and popular with players.     -   D. Conduct of Post Play pull tabs acts as a forced marketing         tool as players have a continuing stake in winning and prize         sharing in secondary games over time, so long as they are         present at the same location and/or participate in ongoing         primary games.     -   E. Allows operators flexibility to alter criteria for secondary         game entry, winning and prize distribution, all of which adds to         player excitement, increases player competition and builds         player loyalty to the location offering Post Play pull tabs.     -   F. Flexibility in secondary game entry, winning and prize         distribution criteria allows operators to comply with unique         local laws, regulations and player tastes.     -   G. Players incur no additional cost for participation in         secondary games when presence in the location is all that is         required to participate. This can provide further player         incentive to participate and adds to player excitement,         competition and loyalty to locations offering Post Play pull         tabs.     -   H. Operators can increase overall player participation and         revenues by eliminating secondary game player cost.     -   I. The concept of Post Play pull tabs is equally applicable to a         paper-based primary game operation as to one utilizing         electronic assistive devices.

SUMMARY

The Post Play pull tab and games of chance concept is an invention by which entry into, play and winning of a secondary related game is determined by the results of play in a primary traditional pull tab or other game of chance. The invention overcomes numerous deficiencies in the existing art of the pull tab and game of chance industry related to player demand for novelty in games, prize distribution, marketing, the cultivation of player loyalty and increasing revenues.

DRAWINGS

Not Applicable

DETAILED DESCRIPTION—PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The concept of Post Play games of chance and, specifically, Post Play pull tabs applies the Post Play Bingo concept to other medium. Players purchasing pull tabs gain entry to a secondary related game by their successful participation in the underlying primary game. A winning pull tab ticket not only entitles the player to the prize associated by that particular ticket but constitutes admission into the secondary separate-but-related game.

Also applicable is the Post Play concept of “forced marketing.” Once entry is gained into the secondary game through a winning ticket in the underlying primary game, a secondary game player may share in additional prizes only when physically present in the pull tab or other game of chance location. Through this requirement, secondary game participants are encouraged to patronize the same location during the time the secondary game continues.

Significantly, the Post Play concept applied to pull tabs also involves no additional player consideration for secondary game participation. Once a player has purchased and redeemed a winning pull tab, that player may participate in the secondary game by his mere presence in the location. No additional purchase of tickets is required.

Operation—Preferred Embodiment

As described, pull tabs are sold in “deals” or “games,” each deal made up of a certain number of preprinted “tickets.” The number of winning tickets and the prize pay-out of each are also predetermined. As tickets from an individual deal are sold, players acquire and redeem winning tickets. Upon redemption of a winning ticket, the player receives the indicated prize payout of the ticket and is admitted to the secondary game. Thereafter, in order to receive a prize in the secondary game, the player must be present in the point of sale location. For example, a Post Play pull tab utilizing the Bingo-opoly invention described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/195,549 may include a winning ticket corresponding to the “Dauberville property.” See page 13, Bingo-opoly Patent Application. This first player to “hit” or “land on” this property in the primary pull tab game would automatically be “awarded” Dauberville in the secondary game. Subsequently, if another player “lands on” Dauberville in the primary game and the player previously awarded Dauberville was present in the location, the player owning Dauberville would receive an additional prize. The second winning player would receive the prize designated on his or her winning ticket regardless. Players are thus encouraged to not only purchase tickets within the same deal but purchase tickets at and patronize the same location over time.

Description—Additional Embodiment

The Post Play concept may be employed in a variety of additional game of chance embodiments to that described above. In other embodiments, the concept may be applied to traditional raffles and gaming systems such as slot machines. In each, the concept of forced marketing would apply as well, encouraging ongoing player patronage. Also in each, ongoing participation in the secondary game need not require additional player consideration. Human nature is such that the mere presence requirement would be sufficient as it is unlikely participants in the secondary game would remain in the point of sale location without some level of further participation in the same or other primary games.

Operation—Additional Embodiment

As applied to raffles, the Post Play concept could entail players purchasing raffle tickets for preannounced prizes. Additional prizes could be offered to previous winners present in the location as prizes are subsequently awarded in the primary raffle.

In the slot machine context, winners in the underlying primary competition event could become eligible for subsequent prizes based upon ongoing results of play. This subsequent prize eligibility, of course, would be conditioned upon the primary winners' ongoing participation in slot play. With slot machines, as with Post Play pull tabs, prizes in the secondary Post Play game could be calculated and offered by a progressive method. In all cases, players are encouraged to continually patronize the location or specific game in which they were originally awarded a prize.

Conclusions, Ramifications And Scope

Post Play is an invention which conceptualizes the most demanding issues facing the pull tab and games of chance industry and incorporates improvements in the prior art to provide a unique method of offering players novelty and game operators an attractive means of marketing and developing player loyalty. Players participate in competitive secondary pull tab or other games of chance related games which arise from play in an underlying primary game. The continuation of the secondary game over a series of primary games or over a particular period of time gives players a chance to share in the winnings of other players or win additional prizes outright. Requiring players to be physically present at the game location or even involved in ongoing game play provides operators the means to encourage further player participation and increase revenues, but without the necessity of actually requiring further monetary consideration. The invention improves upon the prior art by offering new game play which maintains integrity and characteristics universally ascribed to pull tabs and traditional games of chance.

The concept of Post Play is an invention which contains inherent flexibility. Criteria for entry, methods of play, prize distribution and eligibility for the secondary game can be tailored by individual game operators in response to local regulation and player tastes. This flexibility, moreover, can be maintained without affecting the nature of the underlying primary games, which further broadens its appeal and enhances its utility. 

1. A gaming system comprised of a primary and a secondary competitive game of chance in which entry into said secondary game is determined by methods and results of play in the primary game.
 2. The gaming system of claim 1 wherein the primary game consists of a traditional pull tab game played with a predetermined number of pull tab tickets of predetermined prize amounts included. Players compete to first acquire pull tab tickets with the largest prizes offered.
 3. The gaming system of claim 2 wherein the primary game is played as part of a deal consisting of a series of tickets where players purchase one or more tickets to participate in such games.
 4. The gaming system of claim 3 wherein a player must be the first to acquire a winning ticket with a predetermined prize to be the winner of that prize.
 5. The gaming system of claim 4 wherein a player who first acquires such predetermined prize will be the winner of that prize and gain entry into the secondary game.
 6. The gaming system of claim 5 wherein both the primary and secondary games include preannounced prize amounts, which may be determined in accordance with applicable laws or regulations.
 7. The gaming system of claim 6 wherein, in one embodiment, the specific prize awarded in the primary game then determines said winning player's position, or entry point, into the secondary game.
 8. The gaming system of claim 7 wherein play in the secondary game can be carried forward or continued over a specified time period.
 9. The gaming system of claim 8 wherein winners of previous primary or secondary games can become eligible to receive additional prizes or participate in the sharing of prizes awarded in subsequent secondary games.
 10. The gaming system of claim 9 wherein, in one embodiment, such award of additional prizes or prize sharing can be conditioned upon a previous primary or secondary game winner's continued participation in subsequent primary or secondary games.
 11. The gaming system of claim 10 whereby, in another embodiment, such subsequent additional prize awards or prize sharing can be conditioned upon a previous primary or secondary game winner's physical presence in the game location in order to claim a subsequent secondary game prize or a portion thereof.
 12. The gaming system of claim 11 wherein the method of prize distribution in the secondary game does not impact or alter the winner or prize distribution in the primary game.
 13. The gaming system of claim 12 wherein player excitement and competition is enhanced due to the possibility of the player sharing in subsequent secondary game prizes.
 14. The gaming system of claim 13 which further acts as a forced marketing method to increase player patronage and loyalty to the location offering the secondary game.
 15. The gaming system of claim 14 which may be effected manually through use of traditional paper tickets or electronically with computerized assistive devices.
 16. The gaming system of claim 15 wherein following purchase of one or more tickets for said primary game, no additional consideration by a player must be given by said player in order to participate in a said secondary game.
 17. The gaming system of claim 16 wherein, in another embodiment, the primary and secondary games are played on a configuration of electronically linked slot machines.
 18. A gaming apparatus encompassing claim 17 comprising a processor configured to implement a primary game and subsequently effect play of a secondary game upon the occurrence of at least one pre-specified event during play of said primary game and at least one display in communication with said processor.
 19. A gaming system of claim 18 comprising a gaming terminal at which a primary game is implemented and, upon the occurrence of at least one prespecified event during play of said primary game a secondary game is initiated and at least partially effected for play by a player using said first gaming terminal and at least one additional gaming terminal in communication with said first gaming terminal, said secondary game also being at least partially effected at said at least one additional terminal for participation and competitive play by another player.
 20. The gaming apparatus claim of 19 wherein the secondary game is played against at least one other participant. 